What Is Experian FICO Score 2?

Experian FICO Score 2 evaluates five core credit behaviors - payment history, amounts owed, length of credit history, new credit, and credit mix - to generate a 300‑850 number that lenders use to predict risk. The model weights each behavior (payment history ≈ 35%, amounts owed ≈ 30%, length ≈ 15%, new credit ≈ 10%, credit mix ≈ 10%) and reflects how you manage credit overall, as explained by Experian's FICO Score 2 guide.

For example, paying a credit‑card balance in full each month builds a strong payment‑history record. Carrying a balance near the limit raises the amounts‑owed factor and lowers the score. Keeping a credit‑card open for ten years extends your credit‑history length, while applying for three new cards within weeks spikes the new‑credit component. Having both an auto loan (installment) and a revolving credit‑card improves the credit‑mix metric.

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• Log into the free Experian CreditWorks free credit dashboard where the Experian FICO Score 2 appears right under your credit‑report summary.
• Open the Experian mobile app for iOS or Android; after signing in the score shows on the home screen.
• Subscribe to MyFICO and select the Experian‑based 'FICO Score 2' product; the score displays in your MyFICO account dashboard.
• Check the online account of lenders that partner with Experian, such as Capital One or Discover; they list the Experian FICO Score 2 in the 'Credit Score' section of the statements.

FICO Score 2 (also called Experian FICO Score 2) calculates risk using the classic five factors - payment history, amounts owed, length of credit history, new credit, and credit mix - and applies the same weightings that have defined FICO scores for decades.

Newer FICO versions (FICO 9, 10, 10T, 11) incorporate trended data, lower the impact of tax liens, add rental and utility payments, and use finer score bins, so they can produce a markedly different number even when the five‑factor profile matches a FICO Score 2. For details on the latest FICO scoring models, see FICO's scoring model overview.

FICO Score 2 may differ from other scores because it is an Experian‑only model that applies its own weighting to the five core factors - payment history, amounts owed, length of credit history, new credit, and credit mix. The version uses slightly more emphasis on recent payment behavior and on the depth of credit history than older FICO versions, so even identical credit files can produce a higher or lower number.

Other lenders often pull a different version, such as FICO 8, FICO 9, or VantageScore 4.0, which draw data from all three bureaus and assign different importance to the same factors. Those models may also incorporate newer data points like medical collections or rental payments. Because each model interprets the same file differently, borrowers frequently see a gap between Experian FICO Score 2 and the scores they receive elsewhere.

Experian FICO Score 2 relies on five core factors. Payment history is the biggest driver, then amounts owed, length of credit history, new credit, and credit mix.

• Payment history: on‑time payments boost the score, missed or late payments, collections, or bankruptcies pull it down.
• Amounts owed: high balances relative to credit limits increase utilization, which lowers the score; keeping utilization under 30 % helps.
• Length of credit history: older accounts show stability, a longer average age raises the score, while many new accounts shorten it.
• New credit: recent inquiries and newly opened accounts suggest higher risk and can dent the score temporarily.
• Credit mix: a variety of revolving and installment accounts signals responsible handling of different credit types and adds a modest boost.

Quickly boost your Experian FICO Score 2 by targeting the five pillars it uses: payment history, amounts owed, length of credit history, new credit, and credit mix.

1. Eliminate overdue balances - Pay any past‑due accounts in full; a single 30‑day delinquency can drop the score by dozens of points.
2. Reduce credit utilization - Keep revolving balances under 30 % of each limit; ideally below 10 % for the biggest lift.
3. Extend account age - Keep older cards open, even if you use them rarely; closing them erases years of positive history.
4. Limit hard inquiries - Apply for new credit only when necessary; each inquiry stays on the file for two years and can shave a few points.
5. Diversify responsibly - Add a different type of credit (e.g., a small installment loan) only if you can manage the payment on time; a balanced mix signals lower risk.

Follow these steps and watch your Experian FICO Score 2 climb.

Many lenders still pull Experian FICO Score 2 when underwriting government‑backed mortgages and a few legacy auto‑loan programs.

• Major mortgage lenders such as Rocket Mortgage, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, Bank of America Home Loans, and JPMorgan Chase Mortgage use FICO Score 2 for VA, FHA and many conventional loan applications.
• Large depository institutions like U.S. Bank Mortgage and PNC Mortgage also rely on this score for most home‑loan decisions.
• Regional banks and credit unions - including Navy Federal Credit Union and Truist (formerly SunTrust) - default to Score 2 in their standard mortgage pipelines.
• Select auto‑finance firms, for example Ally Financial's subprime portfolio, continue to reference Experian FICO Score 2 when the borrower's file is tied to Experian data.

(See FICO's model overview and the CFPB discussion of Score 2 in mortgage lending for details.)

Here are real‑world borrower actions that caused an Experian FICO Score 2 to jump or plunge.

• Paid off 80% of revolving balances - reduced the 'amounts owed' ratio, lifted the score by 30‑40 points within a month.
• Opened a car loan while carrying high credit‑card debt - added 'new credit' and 'credit mix' debt, dropped the score roughly 20 points as the average age of accounts fell.
• Missed a mortgage payment by 45 days - hurt 'payment history,' erased a 50‑point gain earned from prior on‑time payments.
• Removed a charged‑off collection after settlement - eliminated a negative mark in 'payment history,' added back 15‑25 points even though the overall debt level stayed similar.

These snapshots show how payment history, amounts owed, length of credit history, new credit, and credit mix directly move your Experian FICO Score 2. When you see a sudden change, ask which of these five pillars was affected. Next, see when FICO Score 2 still influences mortgage approval.

Experian FICO Score 2 still influences a mortgage when the lender's underwriting software is set to that model, which includes most conventional, FHA, VA and USDA loans that follow legacy Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac guidelines. In those cases the lender pulls the Score 2 report directly, so a low number can block approval or raise the rate even if a newer FICO version looks better.

The score weighs payment history, amounts owed, length of credit history, new credit and credit mix; any weakness in those areas shows up on the Score 2 copy and can trigger a denial, a larger down‑payment requirement, or a higher interest margin. Lenders rely on those five factors because they reflect long‑term risk, and the older algorithm still serves as the benchmark for many mortgage programs.

Consequently, actions that shift those factors - like adding an authorized user who drags down the balance‑to‑limit ratio - can surprise you in the Score 2 readout; Fannie Mae's legacy underwriting guidelines explain why this older model remains a gatekeeper.

FICO Score 2 can dip from an authorized user only when that user's activity alters the primary account's payment history or amounts owed. Adding a user does not create a new hard inquiry, nor does it change the account's credit‑age or mix; the primary's score reflects the existing account's performance alone.

If the authorized user racks up a high balance and the primary misses a payment, the missed payment tags the primary's payment history and the higher utilization inflates the amounts owed factor, both pulling the Experian FICO Score 2 down. Removing the user, however, leaves the primary's record untouched, because no new credit line is created and no hard pull occurs. This indirect effect explains why some borrowers see an unexpected score drop after adding an authorized user, linking directly to the five factors discussed earlier.